Whiz Kid Wants a Quiet Life

He is referring to a report that quoted him as saying his actions are publicity stunts and that he enjoys seeing so many comments and an increasing number of followers.

"I didn't say that," Feng says, grimacing while staring at the floor.

"I said it's good that my posts have prompted people to reflect on the current school system. I wanted to attract the public's attention to the contents of my postings, not toward me."

Feng turned up for the interview with China Daily dressed in colorful clothes, carrying a backpack and wearing a cap bearing the autographs of two of his idols from the aerobatics team of the Zhuhai Air Show.

On his micro blog, he's outspoken, aggressive and sounds like an adult. For example, he slammed an official's idea to invest millions to cultivate sorghum to attract tourists to Gaomi, Shandong province — the hometown of Mo Yan, Chinese Nobel Literature Prize winner.

But in person, his chubby cheeks and childish voice give away his age. In contrast to his posts, his demeanor is somber and pensive.

His answers to many questions are: "I don't know how to answer the question", or, "I don't want to talk about it".

As he puts it: "I'm more comfortable expressing my ideas online in forums and weibo, and while chatting with my friends on QQ (an instant messaging service popular in China). I'm inspired only when I sit in front of the computer."

The boy didn't tell his father in person about his intention to drop out of school but, instead, added his father's micro blog account in his message to catch his attention.

Feng has impressed many readers with his knowledge. In addition to musing about Einstein and Mo Yan, Feng also left incisive comments on current affairs, including China's crisis of confidence in charity and the popularity of dating and job-hunting reality TV shows in the country that reflect the difficulties Chinese face in relationships and employment.

His online postings reveal he's a military enthusiast, who's well-versed in the different generations of China's carrier-borne fighter planes. Many were also surprised to read the 10-year-old's analysis of the differences between Obama and Romney.

"I've acquired all the extra knowledge from the Internet. Schoolteachers didn't teach us that. They're busy feeding us what's in the textbooks," Feng says.